Vermont Dance Alliance and Black Freedom Fund Partner to Empower – Seven Days
Posted: July 8, 2020 at 2:46 pm
Everyone needs to experience joy, perhaps especially as the country navigates a pandemic, political divisiveness and the tumultuous struggle for racial justice. Through dance and philanthropy, the Vermont Dance Alliance and the Black Freedom Fund are working to help people nurture their joy and support racial equality in the Green Mountain State and beyond.
In late June the alliance, a statewide nonprofit that supports dance artists, released the video "TRACES 2020 Virtual Performance." It's the pandemic-era version of the group's annual one-day event. Since 2017, TRACES performers have danced outside in Burlington on sidewalks, alongside public sculptures, on the waterfront where audiences encountered them by design or by chance.
This year, the 11.5-minute video, produced by South Burlington's Extensity Creative, features 31 dancers of all ages performing 30- to 60-second pieces in backyards and woods, on picnic benches and industrial stairs. The pieces are elegantly interwoven and set to music by local musicians. It's the most intriguing and satisfying dance video this viewer has seen in a long time. Clever, energetic and filled with surprises, the video exudes joy and captures normally ephemeral live dance as a forever-accessible gem.
"People need this outlet of movement and connection to community," said Burlington's Hanna Satterlee, founder and executive director of the Vermont Dance Alliance. The group hasn't sponsored in-person events since the pandemic began and won't for a long time, she said. Hungry for interaction, participants enjoyed Zoom rehearsals and collaborating on the video; the alliance is sponsoring more dance video projects as a result. For example, on Monday it launched Dancing Digitally, a five-week interactive series on five local choreographers' new works.
"TRACES 2020" also came at a time when alliance board members "wanted to give back immediately to an organization working for racial and social justice," Satterlee said. After considering numerous national groups, they discovered the Vermont-based Black Freedom Fund, which perfectly fits the alliance's mission of empowerment. Just before the credits at the end of the video, viewers are invited to donate.
Christal Brown is an artist, educator, entrepreneur and chair of the dance program at Middlebury College. In early June, she launched the Black Freedom Fund to support Black artists, families and entrepreneurs who are under-resourced due to COVID-19 or other challenges. Through it, she said, she aims not only to provide monetary gifts but also to help create the conditions that support joy.
"Most of the things that we relish in this country that are African American made are from the outgrowth of joy, not pain," Brown said. "The publicity of the pain overshadows the joy of the music, the dancing, the love. It overshadows a lot of the work we've done to be able to be joyful people."
Brown appreciates using "TRACES 2020" as a vehicle to raise funds because the video exemplifies the complexity of bridging different life experiences. Just as performers must understand each person's part, so must we "recognize what goes into each person's reality" to change systems of racism and oppression, Brown said. The collaboration of the alliance and the Black Freedom Fund is "a way of leveraging our realities."
In the Middlebury area, where Brown and her young son are among the few Black residents, her neighbors and allies recently began asking for advice on how to support racial justice.
One day she responded, "'I can do this. I can make something for you. Hold on. Give me a minute,'" she recalled. Almost that quickly, Brown created the Black Freedom Fund under the auspices of her nonprofit company INSPIRIT.
"There's a pain point that's happening right now, and there's a lot of confusion," she said. "When change happens, it has to happen person to person ... in a meaningful way. I wanted to stand in the gap between different communities" by making it easier to give.
In less than a month, the Black Freedom Fund's crowdsourcing campaign surpassed its $10,000 goal and the gifts keep coming. As of Tuesday, 184 people had made donations of $20 to $1,000, totaling $14,457; some businesses had also donated, bringing the total even higher.
Brown put $10,000 in an investment fund and is using the overage to make a gift of about $500 each month. Through professional and personal networks, she identifies recipients around the country for whom that amount would be significant. To date, there's enough to last about 14 months; after that she'll begin drawing from the investment's accruing interest.
A recent gift went to a man with whom Brown grew up in Kinston, S.C. Initially, he got caught up in crime, but after seeing many of his friends die or be drawn into "the prison pipeline of a small town where there's no opportunity," Brown said, "he totally flipped his life around." He's now married, has a son and is a generous force in his community, serving meals to the homeless, doing fund drives and cooking for neighbors, according to Brown. The man recently underwent a leg amputation and cannot work while waiting for the prosthetic. The Black Freedom Fund covered his July rent.
"Black joy is a reservoir," Brown said, that allows people to persevere despite loss, pain and misfortune. Sometimes a gift can help refill it.
Link:
Vermont Dance Alliance and Black Freedom Fund Partner to Empower - Seven Days
- From 'good to great' - Greenville Daily News - February 1st, 2021
- New and Forthcoming Titles on Women, Girls and Empowerment - Publishers Weekly - February 1st, 2021
- Letter: Why are we wasting our time with impeachment? - PostBulletin.com - February 1st, 2021
- Bring back the beat: Music you missed this January - Daily Trojan Online - February 1st, 2021
- Resources available to support student wellness and mental health - Penn State News - February 1st, 2021
- Yemen: Delivering COVID assets through the project's chain - World Bank Group - World Bank Group - February 1st, 2021
- Your Guide to Surviving Mercury Retrograde in 2021, Based on Your Zodiac Sign - HYPEBAE - February 1st, 2021
- Meet the Human Design Coaches to watch in 2021 - GlobeNewswire - February 1st, 2021
- Brain hacks to boost productivity with music. Should you be listening to more ABBA? - TechRepublic - November 18th, 2020
- 76% of Shoppers to Conduct Majority of their Holiday Purchases Online - Stockhouse - November 18th, 2020
- Mangaluru: Apostolic Carmel Congregation celebrates 150 years of its presence in India - Daijiworld.com - November 18th, 2020
- At new OKC Black-owned bookstore, "We just want them to come into a place and see themselves" - Oklahoman.com - November 18th, 2020
- Join the club: Womens Empowerment provides a safe space - District - November 18th, 2020
- Death doulas help the dying meet their end with affirmation instead of anxiety - Houston Chronicle - November 18th, 2020
- Free Guy Director Shawn Levy Says the Movie Is More Timely Than Ever - Superherohype.com - November 18th, 2020
- Meet the 40-year-old who has empowered over 1.5 lakh women through self-defence - YourStory - November 18th, 2020
- WCH city manager makes appeal to the community - Record Herald - November 18th, 2020
- Craig Russell revolutionized Canadian drag, and he finally has the outrageous biography he deserves - CBC.ca - November 18th, 2020
- Stream It Or Skip It: 'I Am Greta' on Hulu, a Powerful Portrait of an Activist at the Peak of Her Influence - Decider - November 18th, 2020
- A Corps Leaders Perspective: Chief of Ordnance passionate about serving in U.S. Army - Public Affairs Office of Headquarters, US Army Combined Arms... - November 18th, 2020
- Only for women! 7 pct interest, PF waiver and gold loan discount in this savings account - Equitas Small Fi... - Zee Business - November 18th, 2020
- Tierna McComb overcomes family tragedy to become the height of fashion - The Irish News - November 18th, 2020
- Realize, emphasize and mobilize in uncertainty - SRU The Online Rocket - October 30th, 2020
- Seasons of Hope family in need of help during illness - Johnson City Press (subscription) - October 30th, 2020
- Ariana Grandes Positions shows the power of women writing about their own orgasms - British GQ - October 30th, 2020
- Becky G's Fight for Equal Pay Is Personal: How She's Paving the Way for the Latinx Community - E! Online - October 30th, 2020
- Why Ivanka Trump Is Coming Out Against Abortion Now - Slate - October 30th, 2020
- Up Close: In Conversation with EShopWorld CEO Tommy Kelly - Sourcing Journal - October 30th, 2020
- 3 ways first-generation Americans can build wealth and support family - Business Insider - Business Insider - October 30th, 2020
- Account Manager/Senior Stylist job with A Line Boutique | 148923 - The Business of Fashion - October 30th, 2020
- Fintechs Draw Increasing Attention in Social Media Banking Chats - The Financial Brand - October 30th, 2020
- Women talking, addressing toughest issues they face at Triangle Tech X conference - WRAL Tech Wire - October 30th, 2020
- First payroll system with financial wellbeing and banking capabilities launches today - ResponseSource - October 30th, 2020
- House of Reps determined to resolve ASUU issues and empower youths - Gbajabiamila - Nairametrics - October 30th, 2020
- What's in a Word? Housing Policy and the Shifting Sands of Empowerment - Non Profit News - Nonprofit Quarterly - September 10th, 2020
- One in 10 U.S. Adults Say They Have Been Victims of Identity Theft Since the COVID-19 Pandemic Began - Yahoo Finance - September 10th, 2020
- Empowerment in audit - Accounting Today - September 10th, 2020
- India to empower citizens with control over use of personal data - Business Standard - September 10th, 2020
- Girls on the Run initiates fall season programs with accommodations for health and safety guidelines - LebTown - September 10th, 2020
- Defending Rights of Women in India: A Constitutional Standpoint - The Kashmir Images Newspaper - September 10th, 2020
- How Donnette Dawn Thomas is Making a Positive Impact with Mindful Missions of SC - Kev's Best - September 10th, 2020
- Why we should do away with standardized testing - The Daily Cardinal - September 10th, 2020
- Varsity Brands Deepens Commitment to Social and Emotional Learning as Schools Work to Reopen for the 2020-21 School Year - PRNewswire - September 10th, 2020
- Why we love Megan Thee Stallion - RU Daily Targum - September 10th, 2020
- Weakest, Most Fragile States Will Be Those Worst Affected by COVID-19 in Medium, Long Term, Humanitarian Chief Tells Security Council - World -... - September 10th, 2020
- Integrated Partners and Duffy Kruspodin, LLP Align to Create DK Wealth Management, LLC - GlobeNewswire - September 10th, 2020
- From live sessions to workout videos: Senior citizens take the e-route to stay fit amid pandemic - The Indian Express - September 10th, 2020
- Women in Tech: "You are the best author of your own career path" - JAXenter - August 29th, 2020
- Dear Keith: Works from the Personal Collection of Keith Haring - FAD magazine - August 29th, 2020
- H&M collaborates with Beirut-based designer Sandra Mansour on empowering collection - Manila Bulletin - August 29th, 2020
- 'Nikah Halala' Review: A Scathing Indictment of a Practice That Has No Quranic Sanction - The Wire - August 29th, 2020
- Wafia's new EP 'Good Things' explores the loss and liberation of growing up and relationships - Purple Sneakers - August 29th, 2020
- 'The House of Jaipur' Maps the History, Glamour and Feuds of a Former Royal Family - The Wire - August 29th, 2020
- People Analytics Leader - Governance, Ethics, and Prioritization at Allstate - Insurance Journal - August 29th, 2020
- More Women Tapping On Fintech? - The ASEAN Post - August 29th, 2020
- The Tech Perspective Kamala Harris Could Bring to the Vice Presidency - Nextgov - August 29th, 2020
- The Zondo Commission, the dealmaker, and the botched evidence - Moneyweb - August 29th, 2020
- First Horizon Bank Offers Financial Wellness Programs On Demand - rutherfordsource.com - August 29th, 2020
- DiCarlo Shy upon Recognition, Relentless in Her Mission - Wanderer - July 8th, 2020
- Pureology, #1 Professional Color Care Brand*, Pioneer In Vegan Haircare, To Unveil New Look And Formulas - PRNewswire - July 8th, 2020
- 'Gamificaiton' of educational content offers a peek into the future of classrooms - StepFeed - July 8th, 2020
- Danai Gurira on Empowering Fitness and the Ongoing Fight for Racial Justice - Women's Health - July 8th, 2020
- So You Want to Leave it All and Create a Community? - Resilience - July 8th, 2020
- Blackout Day is July 7, calls for boycott of non-Black-owned business - Business Insider - Business Insider - July 8th, 2020
- To Leave Racist Roots Behind, Child Welfare Needs a Great Reimagining - LA Progressive - July 8th, 2020
- Health and Social Welfare Systems Strengthening Consultant, ACHIEVE/Tanzania - ReliefWeb - July 8th, 2020
- Heralding a new health data regime in India - Observer Research Foundation - July 8th, 2020
- Kiva Receives USAID Design Funding to Structure Innovative $100M Fund to Support 1 Million Women Globally - Business Wire - July 8th, 2020
- Former WE Charity employee says staff tried to silence her by rewriting anti-racism speech - CBC.ca - July 8th, 2020
- Gaia Herbs Offers Grants to Organizations Expanding Herbal Access for Underserved Populations in the United States - Yahoo Finance - June 3rd, 2020
- Women Cant Be Fully Empowered If Theyre Not Financially Empowered. Heres Why. - SWAAY - June 3rd, 2020
- Healthfully and NextGate Partner to Give Patients Safe, Reliable Access to Personal Health Data - thepress.net - June 3rd, 2020
- 'I am determined Oakwood will continue to be a center of empowerment and witness.' - Adventist Review - June 3rd, 2020
- UPES has given more Shakti to all girl students with 25 percent scholarship - Careers360 - June 3rd, 2020
- How a Kenyan climate change documentary inspired the world - Climate Home - June 3rd, 2020
- Free Access to Employment Screening Helps Small Businesses and the Unemployed Get Back to Work More Quickly - GlobeNewswire - June 3rd, 2020
- No buyer's remorse, increased bank balance, more control: The many perks of cutting back on spending in a post-Covid world - Economic Times - June 3rd, 2020
- The Only Task Management Platform You Need Launched to Help Remote Workers, Freelancers, Small Business - Business Wire - June 3rd, 2020
- Prays Together: Honesty in Prayer - Foothills Sun Gazette - June 3rd, 2020
- Religion news May 30 - The Republic - June 1st, 2020